'Yellowstone' Filming Locations: The Spots From The TV Series You Can Actually Visit

Elle

28-07-2025

There are TV shows that invite you to tune in and switch; then there are the rarefied few that beckon you to saddle up, breathe in mountain air, and contemplate moving to the wild, wild West for 'a simpler life' (albeit, with more family betrayals and bar-side brawls). Such is the gravitational pull of Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan's five-season sermon to American land and legacy, all framed by sweeping cinematography that, if recent figures are to be believed, is having a direct impact on holiday makers.
But where, exactly, are these sprawling acres, weathered barns, and rodeo arenas? Like all great Western myths, there's some creative geography at play. Allow this guide to the real Yellowstone filming locations to light the way.
At the heart of Yellowstone sits the Dutton Ranch — actually the Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby, Montana. Tucked deep in the Bitterroot Valley beneath snow-capped Trapper Peak, this is where the show's family drama unfolds. Off screen, it's a historic guest ranch dating to the early 1900s, and yes, you can book a stay in cabins previously occupied by the cast (for a price and with plenty of advance planning). The infamous 'Train Station' — where problems go to disappear — is a real too, and can be found on U.S. Highway 93 at Sula, just south of Darby.
While Yellowstone is set in Montana, much of its visual identity in the early seasons was actually forged in Utah. Yes, you read that right: for its first three seasons, roughly three-quarters of the show was filmed in Utah at Park City's Utah Film Studios, leveraging a then-alluring tax incentive and a landscape as wild and cinematic as Montana's own. This is everywhere the series filmed throughout Utah.
As the Dutton family's fortunes rose (and a few more bodies found themselves at the 'Train Station'), prodigal production money and, fittingly, a much bigger Montana tax incentive lured filming out of Utah and into Montana itself for season four and beyond. Suddenly, Montana — the show's spiritual, scriptural home — got its long overdue close-up.
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Naomi May is a seasoned culture journalist and editor with over ten years' worth of experience in shaping stories and building digital communities. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard, where she worked across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Digital Editor at ELLE Magazine and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others. Naomi is also the host of the ELLE Collective book club.